THIS WEEK:BRYNOVSKY 

Brynovsky is the coming together of frontman Leroy Jones, early member of roots reggae band The Congos, Edinburgh singer, Idana and songwriter/producer, Tim Brynovsky.

Spread across the UK in Scotland and London, Brynovsky have a classic sound with Leroy’s soft cutting vibrato melting into Idana’s round tones. This is melodic reggae fusion with soul, dub, funk and rock stirred in.

I’ve always had an immense soft spot for all things reggae & dub after growing up with the sounds of artists such as Gregory Isaacs,Dennis Brown,Johnny Osbourne,Janet Kay,Caroll Thompson & Yellowman echoing through my ears.

It probably started with my older brother who worked for a record company.He had a little mini van & used to deliver all their vinyl to the record shops & the release I remember the most as a mere snippet of a kid was Pluto Shervington & ‘Dat’-I had never seen so many 7 inch singles.It was such a thrill to have our older brother take us out in his van after work for a tasty treat at the kebab shop(or as my Mum called it-Key-bab),all the while being amazed that ‘Dat’ kept coming on the radio.From that point onwards a lifelong love of reggae & its many musical variations was set in stone.

So when I came across Brynovsky in the FOTN dropbox recently it felt like a breath of fresh air to me.I felt the same tingle as when I first heard the late great Bim Sherman after being introduced to him by Adrian Sherwood of On-U-Sound-From the ‘on the money’ production & music skills of Tim to the blissful tone of the voices of Leroy & Idana,Brynovsky‘s music feels joyous & special.

To then have discovered the back story of the members of Brynovsky just added to the sense that this project was not only special & but one to be truly respected.

After releasing solo instrumental album Hard Curves in 2010, Brynovsky got some support slots with The Abyssinians, Yellowman and The Congos with his dub band.Tim and Leroy met in 2011 on The Congos tour bus and decided to work together on some recordings. In the meantime, Idana was recruited as a second vocalist.Leroy Jones aka Jah Dave, singer, percussionist and producer has worked with Gregory Isaacs, Horace Andy, Sugar Minott, Johnny Clarke, Prince Far I, Dub Syndicate and many more reggae legends. He also performs solo singing the songs of his great friend, Gregory Isaacs, recently playing the O2 and Wembley Arena.

Born in Jamaica, Leroy was a famous jockey in his teens, racing alongside Lester Piggott. Leroy got too tall to race, became a Rasta and started making music with Congo Ashanti Roy. By the early 80’s he had played percussion as ‘Jah Dave’ with many major reggae artists and when he settled in London, he branched out as a producer and singer. He produced “Do I Do I” by Johnny Clarke for Ariwa in their early days which hit Number One in Jamaica and the UK reggae charts.

Tim has toured the UK and Europe and recorded with bands since the late 80’s and was switched on to reggae music when he saw Black Uhuru supporting the Rolling Stones at Wembley stadium. He produces the music and plays guitar, bass, melodica and percussion.

Originally from Edinburgh, Idana is a singer with a unique tone who has emerged from the jazz scene. After hearing Hard Curves, she contacted Brynovsky and the two started working on the demos that eventually became the new album. Her full, round voice, combined with Leroy’s brittle vibrato gives the band a rare and distinct sound. Her stage name came from the great Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry who gave her the moniker when the two met backstage in Glasgow.

For lovers of pure refreshing music please tip your hat & lend your ears to the sweet sweet sounds of Brynovsky.

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1. What are you up to at the moment?
Putting the finishing touches to our new album ‘Time is Now’ which will be out in January.

2. Favourite childhood memory?
Playing in my first band aged 8 and discovering how much I loved music

3. Hero?
Martin Luther King

4. Villain?
That Prime Minister we had last century (if I write her name, we’ll all have to have to look at it). 5. What/who makes you laugh? Father Ted, Friday Night Dinner. My kids make me laugh every day.

6. Describe what you do?
I write music from guitar or piano. Sometimes people send me poems or ideas just float into my head. Leroy and Idana have helped me to turn these sketches into finished songs and then I produce the recordings. I get some help with mixing and mastering from local audio wizards; most of our music gets produced here in South West Scotland. Leroy lives in London so that’s a challenge but we get together as often as we can.

7. Who’s hair would you like to have for just one day?
Footballer Marouane Fellaini

8. Best musical experience to date?
Making this new album ‘Time is Now’ with Idana and Leroy. I’ve been searching for the right singer for years and then two came along at once! So producing the vocal sessions was especially good, doing all the harmonies and hearing it all come together.

9. What artist inspires you?
People that make music with passion without too much concern for trends or trying to be something. I’m inspired when I hear something new or something old with a new twist and especially when I hear a really great song – that motivates me to improve what I do.

10. What does Fresh On The Net mean to you?
I like the way Fresh on the Net is helping to demystify the music business. It’s fantastic to be able to submit music for free, knowing that it will be listened to by people who can make a difference. I have really enjoyed getting comments from complete strangers and it’s great to hear so much exciting original music!